Center-gage for railroad-tracks.



No. 675,964. Patented Juno ll, l90l. J. E. MURPHY.

CENTER GAGE FOR RAILROAD TRACKS.

(Application fllod Dec. 7, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. MURPHY, OF CARVER, MINNESOTA.

CENTER-GAG E FOR RAI LROAD-TRACKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,964, dated June 11, 1901.

Application filed December 7,1900. Serial No. 39,092, (No model-l To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs E. MURPHY, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Carver, Carver county, Minnesota, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Center- Gages forRailroad-Tracks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in center-gages for lining uprailroad-track and the object of the invention is to provide a simple,convenient, and inexpensive instrument by which the track may be easily,quickly, and accurately lined up.

To this end the invention comprises, broadly, a vertical member carryinga plumblevel and a horizontal member for indicating the proper distancefrom the center stake to the rail.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is side elevation, and El". 2 is a plan view.

In the drawings, a indicates the vertical member or rod, preferably ofmetal, having a T-head, in which is a spirit-level b, by means of whichthe vertical member or rod may be brought to a truly vertical position.The lower end of the rod is preferably tapered, as at c, and is providedwith an opening just large enough to go over the head of an ordinarycarpet-tack, which is usually placed centrally of the center stake. Ahorizontal member d is provided with a T-head e, having a passage-waytherethrough at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the horizontalmember, this passage-way being large enough to permit the verticalmember to be inserted therein, but fitting the same snugly. A lug orprojection f is formed on the horizontal member just two feet four and aquarter inches from the center of the vertical member.

In using the device as above described the lower end of the verticalmember is seated centrally upon the center stake by placing the openingover the tack usually used on center stakes. By means of the plumb-levelthe member a is then brought into a truly vertical position, and whileit is held in this position one of the rails of the track is broughtinto contact with the abutment on the member (I, where it will be seenthat the track will be accurately aliued.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is 1. In combination ina track-gage a vertical member having a spirit-level at one end todetermine when the same is in an accurate vertical position the oppositeend of said vertical member resting on a fixed support and a horizontalmember having a sliding connection at one end with the vertical memberwhereby the horizontal member can be shifted longitudinally of thevertical member the opposite end coacting with the rail said horizontalmember sliding on the portion of the vertical member between the ends ofthe latter.

2. A center gage comprising a vertical member having a level, ahorizontal member having a socket or head embracing said vertical memberand a rail-abutment carried by said horizontal member, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES E. MURPHY.

\Vitnesses:

MARGARET L. MURPHY, FRANK WARNER.

